Hofstra Drama 20 – Sound for the Theatre

Location: in my car, driving from my house to Hofstra.

Sounds Heard: turn signal clicking and turning off, wheel turning, car engines revving, wind, car engines running, other cars driving by.

Date: 4/27 at 7:28 PM

Location: table on the quad outside Roosevelt Hall

Far Sounds: laughing, door opening and shutting across the quad, mourning dove cooing, cars driving by on nearby streets.

Medium Sounds: more mourning doves responding, outdoor AC units/fans, two birds fighting (wings flapping, chirping), loud car honk.

Close Sounds: two people walking by (footsteps, talking), chewing, leaves rustling, squirrels climbing the tree overhead.

Sound Description/Level: the AC units gave the sound on the quad a mechanical quality that would otherwise be absent in that setting. The bird calls were plentiful and coming from all directions, which gave it an almost fantastical feeling.

One Word: ethereal

Most Important Sounds: mourning doves cooing, birds fighting, rustling leaves

Location: my front porch

Sounds Heard: many talkative birds, lawnmowers next door turning on and off, a slight breeze.

Date: 4/11 at 4:00 pm

Location: a bench on the path between Breslin and LHComm

Far Sounds: wind blowing through the trees, cars on the Hempstead Turnpike, distant chatter of students.

Medium Sounds: doors opening and closing, cars driving by in the parking lot, keychain clinking, fabric rustling.

Close Sounds: footsteps of someone walking by, breathing in and out, leaves rustling in the tree behind me.

Sound Description/Level: There are not very many loud or startling sounds; it is a very calm and soothing atmosphere in this sort of alleyway between buildings. The breeze is the only constant sound, and even that is minimalistic and not very overwhelming. It’s a nice escape from the loud hustle and bustle of campus.

One Word: peaceful

Most Important Sounds: wind in the trees, cars on the turnpike, footsteps walking by.

Location: my backyard

Sounds Heard: various bird calls, wind in the trees, rain, water hitting metal gutter, cars driving by, wind blowing into microphone.

Date: March 29

Time: 11:20 am

Location: Career Center waiting room

Far Sounds: door opening and latching down the hall, voices moving past, footsteps, paper cutter slicing in a nearby office.

Medium Sounds: light keyboard tapping, bracelet swiping across a desk, computer mouse clicking, desk drawer opening and closing. 

Close Sounds: two women talking, door opening, footsteps on carpet, jacket rubbing, white noise machine.

Sound Description/Level: the sound in this room is refined, almost antiseptic. The white noise machine gives it a calming atmosphere and nothing is too loud or jarring. 

One Word: clean

Most Important Sounds: keyboard tapping, footsteps on carpet, white noise machine.

Location: The Stu Atrium

Sounds Heard: a fan blowing in the background, reverberating voices, incomprehensible conversations, snippets of sentences from passersby, doors shutting, heavy cart rolling by, kitchen utensils clanging, papers shuffling and crumpling, laughter.

Date: March 8

Time: 6:00 pm

Location: Bits & Bytes

Far Sounds: indistinguishable conversations in the back room, electricity humming, food wrappers rustling.

Medium Sounds: garbled voice speaking over the phone, people talking, chairs scraping across the floor, hands clapping occasionally. 

Close Sounds: fan whirring overhead, keyboard clicks, table wobbling, fabric rubbing.

Sound Description/Level: quite consistent, there is a steady drone of voices engaged in different conversations, but they all blur into one another. The other sounds are mere accents dropped in occasionally.

One Word: bustling

Most Important Sounds: people talking, chairs scraping, voice on the phone

Date: 3/1/2023

Location: my kitchen

Sounds Heard: plastic container being moved, knife being picked up, food hitting tin foil, footsteps, tin foil rattling, tray sliding into metal rack, air fryer door opening and closing, buttons beeping, air fryer turning on, plastic being placed on the counter, sink turning on and water running.

Date: February 22 – 2:00pm

Location: My Backyard

Far Sounds: bell tolling, planes flying by overhead, incomprehensible music from a car radio down the street.

Medium Sounds: car honking, truck rumbling past, birds calling to one another, cars whooshing by, icy sleet falling.

Close Sounds: keyboard clicks, breathing in and out, sleet hitting the ground, chairs, tables nearby.

Sound Description/Level: as the sound of sleet intensifies, it brings the other sounds in and out of focus. The planes and cars increase in volume as they get closer, then gradually fade away. Every sound seems one-and-done, a little snippet of something new in the world before it disappears again into the wash of sleet falling. 

One Word: transient

Most Important Sounds: sleet, cars driving past, bird calls.